Apparatus for hauling or drawing cables.



No. 637,739. Y Patented No 2| I899 0. H. MATCHETT.

APPARATUS FOR HAULING 0B DRAWING GABLES.

@M, ATTORNEY8.

Patented Nov. 2|, I899.

c. H. MATCHETT. I APPARATUS FOR HAULIN G 0R DRAWING GABLES.

(Application a'xea A 2i. iaae.

4 $hoata$hoei 2.

(No Modal.

ATTORNEYS i .No. 637,739. Patented Nov 2|, I899 1 C. H. MATCHETT.

APPARATUS FOR HAULING 0R DRAWING GABLES.

(Application filed Aug. 21, 1899.)

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

No. 637,739. Patented Nov. 2|, I899.

. G. H. MATCHETT.

APPARATUS FOR l-IAULING 0R DRAWING GABLES.

(Application fllad Aug. 21, 1599. (No Moljel.) 4 Sheets-Shea! 4.

ATTORNEYS NITED STATES PATENT OFFIcE.

CHARLES H. MATOHETT, OF NEXV YORK, N. Y.

APPARATUS FOR HAULING OR DRAWING CABLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 637,739, datedNovember21, 1899. Application filed August 21, 1899. Serial No. 727,936. (Nomodel.)

useful Improvements in Apparatus for Hauling or Drawing Cables, &c., ofwhich the following is a specification.

The invention is designed more especially for drawing cables ofelectrical conductors from subway-ducts; but obviously it may be usedfor drawing cables of all kinds, rods, pipes, 850., from passages orducts in which they may be located.

The invention comprises some kind of a suitable frame having an annularpassage, through which the cable to be operated upon passes, andradially-movable blocks adapted to be moved inwardly, so that theirinner faces, which may be curved to conform or. substantially conform tothe circumference of the cable, may by appropriate means be caused toclamp the cable between them,when a proper draft upon the device willcause it to move forward with the cable in its grasp. The means by whichthe draft is applied to the gripping device maybe and in theorganization hereinafter described is such as to. he reciprocated, andthe general organization is such that when the reciprocating draftdevices are moved rearwardly the cable is released from the clampingaction of the gripping device, which then slides back upon the cable,and when the draft devices are drawn forward theradially-movablegripping members or jaws are caused to first clamp thecable, after which the gripping device, with the cable in its grasp,moves forward with the draft device.

The general operation and details of construction are hereinafter morefully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional View showing asubway-manhole with the apparatus appropriately mounted for drawing acable out'of one of the ducts leading into the manhole. Figs. 2, 3, and4 are respectively a side elevation, plan, and end view of abridge-piece adapted to be placed across the manhole-opening and inwhich the lever for operating the gripping and drawing device may bepivoted. Fig. 5 is aside elevation, on an enlarged scale, showing thegripping device and the draw-bars connected therewith. Fig. 6 is a sideelevation of one of the radially-movable gripping members or jaws, andFig. 7 is an end view thereof. Fig. 8 is an elevation of either end ofthe gripping device; Fig. 9, a view of the inner face of either of theend pieces of the framecarrying the gripping members orjaws, thetie-rods which unite the two end members of the frame being shown insection; Fig. 9 a detail view of part of Fig. 9; Fig. 10, a plan view ofFig. 9; Fig. 11, an elevation of a sectional ring which surrounds theradially-moving gripping members or jaws and to which the draw-bars areconnected, and Fig. 12 an elevation of the inner face of one of thesections of said ring.

The construction illustrated in the drawings is one which has beenpractically used and one which is considered by me to be the best formof embodiment of my invention now known to me, although obviously thedetails of construction may be changed without departing from theprinciples of the invention or materially changing its general mode ofoperation or behavior in use.

As shown in the drawings, the frame or support of the gripping membersor iaws consists of two annular end plates or rings A, connected bytie-rods B, which hold them in fixed relation to each other and at asuit-able distance apart. Preferably each such ann ular end plate ismade in two parts, as seen in Figs. 5, 8, and 9, the two parts forminglap-joints with each other and being secured together by screw-bolts AA. The inner faces of the inner overlapping portions of the annularplates are formed with hubs or bosses A A to form proper sockets for thescrew-bolts A. The portions of the plates in which the tierods B areseated or attached are also formed with bosses or thickened portions Ato insure strength and proper sockets for the tietrated in the detailView Fig. Seated in with notches D, in which the lugs seat,

thereby limiting outward radial movement.

The inner faces of these members may be curved transversely,as shown,andtheir outer faces are inclined from one end toward the other. Thegripping members and the annular end plates may be of cast-iron or maybe otherwise made, as is desired. The gripping-jaws may be placed inposition by inserting them through the central opening in one of the endplates and then moving them outwardly, with their ribs (1 d seated inthe corresponding grooves or channels 0. When all are in position, theymay be held in place, when the apparatus is not in use, by a cylimdrical plug. Around the outer faces of the gripping members and withinthe tie-rods B is arranged the draft-ring E, which is shown in Figs. 11and 12 as made of two sections or halves bolted together and whose innerface is inclined from one side of the ring to the other. On oppositesides of the ring are formed trunnions F, over which draw bars F F maybe placed and secured-by nuts, as clearly indicated. On the outer faceof each annular end plateand above the horizontal line passing throughthe axis of its opening,

as viewed in Fig. 8, I prefer to attach plates which serve to center thecable within the gripping device. The inner edges of these plates G Gare curved to conform generally to the circumference of the cable to beoperated upon, and they are provided with slots 9 to permit ofadjustment and are held by clamping-bolts G, seated in threaded sock etsin the bosses or thickened parts A of the plates, these screw-threadedsockets being marked g in Fig. 9.

When this apparatus is applied to a cable to beoperated upon, and whichwill occupy the annular openings in the end plates and be surrounded bythe radially-acting gripping members, it will be obvious that when thedraw-bars F are moved backwardly in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 5,the ring'E will be carried back, the gripping-jaws will be released, andthe apparatus will slide back upon the cable, the gripping apparatusbeing held in symmetrical relation thereto by the supporting-plates G G.When the draw-bars are drawn forward, the ring E, acting upon theinclined outer faces of the gripping members, will draw them in radiallyuntil they clamp or firmly embrace the cable. Continued forward movementof the draw-bars will then draw the gripping apparatus, and the cablewith it, forward. By the suitable manipulation of the draw-bars,therefore, the gripping device may be reciprocated and the cable bedrawn forward step by step. The ring E is divided for convenience ofplacing it in position, and the annular end plates A A are divided, sothat the gripping device may be readily applied to a cableiwhere it isnot conveuient to pass the end of the cable through the openings in theannular plates.

This apparatus may be used in a variety of ways, according to theexigencies of its use, and one of which is illustrated in Fig. 1. Thebridge-piece H, which may be applied across the manhole-opening, mayconsist of two side plates h h, spaced at the ends by interposed blocksh h, through which and the side plates securing-bolts pass. These sideplates and the interposed block are at each end notched or cut away, asat. 71. and when the parts h h are made of wood the shoulder formed at72. may be faced by a piece of sheet-iron h which may be riveted orbolted in position. This shoulder may rest upon the ordinary annularflange in the manhole-opening and the bridge-piece be firmly held inposition by screw-bolts I Loccupyin g sockets in'the blocks h h andworked in or out by nuts 2', so that they can be caused to impingeagainst the wall of the manhole-opening.v The lever K for operating thedraw-bars F may be pivoted upon a bolt is, passing through the sidepieces h h of the bridge H.

7.0 is a rope which may be attached to the end of the lever and a gangof men or other source ofpowerapplied to it to draw the cable from theduct.

In Fig. l, 'X indicates a cable which is being drawn from its duct bythe apparatus described. Y

I claim as thy-invention '1. The combination of a frame or supporthaving a'central opening through which a cable or other object to beoperated upon passes, a series of radially-movable gripping members orjaws each mounted at both its ends in the frame around the centralopening and adapted to be caused at will to move inwardly bodily to gripthe cable or to be caused to release the cable, and means for movin gthe frame back and forth whereby the cable or other object may be drawnforward step by step. 7

2. The combination of the frame having annular end pieces and partsconnecting them rigidly, gripping members or jaws arranged between theinner faces of the end plates and adapted to move radially withreference to the openings therein, means whereby at will the jaws may bemoved inwardly to grip a cable or other object occupying the openings inthe .end plates or be caused to release said cable,

the grippers and which when moved in the opposite'direction cause thegrippers to move inwardly to engage the cable to carry it forward withthe frame.

4. The combination of the frame having annular end plates, gripping-jawsextending between the end plates and connected with them by radialgroove-and-rib connections, the outer edges of the gripping-jaws beinginclined, a draft-ring surrounding the series of jaws and adapted to actthereon as described and draw-bars or draft devices applied to the ring,substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of a frame having annular end plates, grippingjawshaving inclined outer edges and extending between the end plates andconnected therewith by radial groove-and-rib connections, stops forlimiting the outward movement of the jaws, a draft-ring surroundingthegripping-jaws and acting upon the inclined outer edges thereof and adraft device or draw-bars attached to the ring, substantially as setforth.

6. The combination of the frame having annular end plates divided intosections, rigid connections between corresponding sections of the twoend plates and means for securing the sections of each end platetogether, radial movable grippers arranged between the end plates andaround the openings thereof and draft devices which when moved in onedirection cause the grippers to grip a cable or other object occupyingthe openings in the end plates and which when moved in the oppositedirection release the cable from the action of the grippers.

7. An apparatus for drawing cables and other objects comprising areciprocating frame having grippers which grip the cable when the frameis moved in one direction and release the cable when the frame is movedin the opposite direction and guide or centering devices which centerthe cable with reference to the grippers.

8. The combination of a frame having annular end plates,radially-movable grippers arranged between the end plates and around theopenings thereof adapted to grip a cable occupying the openings in theplates when moved in one direction and to release it when moved in theopposite direction, and centering plates or guides which maintain theaxial relation of the cable to the openings in the end plates.

9. The combination of a frame having-annular end plates,radially-movable grippers arranged between the end plates and around theopenings thereof adapted to grip a cable occupying the openings in theplates when moved in one direction and to release it when moved in theopposite direction, and adj ustable centering plates or guides whichmaintain the axial relation of the cable to the openings in the endplates.

10. The combination of a frame having annular end plates,radially-movable grippingjaws arranged between the end plates and aroundthe annular openings therein and connected therewith by rib-and-grooveconnections, draft devices which when moved in one direction cause thegripping-jaws to grip a cable or other object occupying the annularopenings in the end plates and to release it when moved in the oppositedirection, a bridge-piece adapted to be placed across a manhole-openingand having devices, as I, for engaging the walls of the manhole to holdthe bridge-piece in position, and a lever pivoted in the bridge-pieceand connected with the draft devices of the gripping apparatus.

11. The combination of the frame having ann ular end pieces and partsconnecting them rigidly, gripping members or jaws arranged between theinner faces of the end plates and adapted to move radially withreference to the openings therein, and means whereby at will the jawsmay be moved inwardly to grip.

a cable or other object occupying the openings in the end plates or becaused to release said cable.

12. The combination of the frame having annular end plates divided intosections, rigid connections between corresponding sections of the twoend plates and means for se curing the sections of each end platetogether and radial movable grippers arranged be tween the end platesand around the openings thereof and adapted to be caused. at will togrip or release the cable occupying the openings in the end plates.

13. A longitudinally-separable frame having a longitudinal passageoccupied by the cable or other object to be operated upon,radially-movable grippers each mounted at each end in the frame aroundsaid passage and adapted at will to be caused to grip or release thecable.

14. The combination of the longitudinallyseparable frame having alongitudinal passage therethrough, and radially movable grippers havinginclined outer edges mounted in the frame around said passage, and thelongitudinally-separable draft-rin g surrounding the grippers and actingupon the inclined edges thereof.

15. The combination of the frame having a longitudinal passagetherethrough, gripping-jaws loosely held in the frame around the passageand radially movable, and means whereby the jaws may be forced inwardlyto clamp a cable occupying the passage or relieved of pressure torelease the cable.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

CHARLES H. MATOHETT.

Witness:

THOMAS SHERWOOD, HENRY M. SHERWOOD.

